Iranian School Hit by Israeli Double Bombing; Children Killed in Mosque

Tehran, Iran — Eyewitnesses say Israel attacked a girls’ school in Iran with a double bombing last Saturday. The second blast struck the mushala where people were sheltering, killing about 165 students and staff. Two first responders and a parent told Middle East Eye. ‘When the first bomb hit the school, a teacher and the principal moved a group of students to the mushala to protect them,’ one Red Crescent medic said, citing conversations with survivors.

‘The headteacher phoned the parents and told them to come and fetch their children. But the second bomb also hit in that area. Only a small number of those who sought shelter survived.’

Nearly all of the 165 dead were girls aged between seven and 12, local officials said. There were about 170 girls at the school in Minab in the south of Iran at the time.

Earlier reports said parents were asked to collect their children as the US-Israel attack began on Saturday morning.

But Rohollah, the father of a girl killed in the second strike, told MEE that he was contacted by the school after the attack. MEE did not name its sources in Minab for safety reasons, and all eyewitness names were anonymised.

‘They told us that the school had been attacked,’ he said. ‘They asked us to come as soon as possible and take our daughter home.’

According to Rohollah, his daughter survived the first attack and was moved to the mushala. The second attack occurred before he could reach her.

‘My little girl burned to death,’ he said. ‘There is nothing left of her. We can only identify her from her school bag, which she was still holding. She burned completely.’ Rohollah recalled how his daughter wanted to become a doctor.

‘She used to tell me, “I promise I will become a doctor so you won’t have to pay medical bills again.” I would pick her up and say, “You are my little doctor.”’

‘When I saw her smile after coming home from work, all my pain disappeared. Now I do not know what to do with this pain. I do not know how to cope.’